Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 27/08/2003 05:48, Trevor Peterson wrote:

> There was a <em>brief</em> discussion recently on G-Megillot about this:
>
> http://mailman.mcmaster.ca/mailman/private/g-megillot/0307.gz/msg00002.html
>
> Trevor Peterson
> CUA/Semitics
>
>  
>
> > ===== Original Message From Søren Holst <sh AT teol.ku.dk> =====
> > Can I ask a partially off-topic question of all you software and Hebrew font
> > gurus out there?
> >
> > A specific sign is customarily used to indicate a probable or uncertain
> > reading of a letter in transcribing a manuscript, e.g. in Qumran studies but
> > elsewhere too: A little circlet above the letter in question.
> >
> > How does one type the little critter?
> >
> > I'm usually writing in MS Word, inserting Hebrew by means of "Unitype Global
> > Office" in a font called UT Hebrew David or alternatively UT Hebrew
> > Frankruhl, but that's not so much a matter of choice as of being a blind hen
> > pecking every which way to see if something works :-)
> >
> > So if something else is recommended, I'm listening.
> >
> > The immediate reason for asking is the preparation of an article which it'd
> > be nice to have come out right if printed by someone the other side of the
> > planet - little circlets and all :-)
> >
> > kol tuv
> > Soren Holst
> > Copenhagen
> > _______________________________________________
> >    
>  
Did Giuseppe give any reason for preferring the less specific 
characters? It would seem to me generally preferable to use the Hebrew 
block characters for Hebrew annotations, especially when the specific 
use is as text critical annotations. Also it will work with current 
implementations, whereas use of U+0307 and U+030A probably will not.

Note that it has recently (so far unofficially, but it now seems to be 
accepted by all on the Unicode Hebrew list) been clarified that U+05C4 
HEBREW MARK UPPER DOT is intended as the upper punctum extraordinarium 
and not the number dot. The punctum extraordinarium was probably 
originally intended as a mark of uncertain characters.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/